Metallic wiee packing



(No Model.)

S. ARMSTRONG.

META LL10 WIRE PACKING.

N0.28'7.'751. Patented mam-1883.

UNITEn- STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

' SAMUEL ARMSTRONG, on NEWARK, NEW JEnsnY.- V

METALLIC WIRIE PACKING.

:PEGIFI GATION fOrmi ng part of Letters Patent No. 28 7,751 datedOctober so, 1883.

Application tiled March 2t), 1883. -(No model.)

' To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL ARMSTRONG,- a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Newark, county of Essex, and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MetallicWire Packings, fully described and represented in thefollowing-specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthe same.

This invention consists in the combination, with a series of parallelwires, of alayer of elastic material for pressing the same toward theWearingsurface, againstwhich the packing maybe applied. i

It also consists in means for combining the two named elementspractically, and in the new element to the combinations of wiresheretoarticles resulting from such combinations.

The nature of the invention will be under I stood from the annexeddrawings, in which Figure 1 shows a stuffingbox in section, with thepacking applied to a piston-rod. Fig. shows a side view of the packingasmanufactured in continuous bars, one end of the bar be-- ing shown insection; and Fig. 3 shows a section of a packing-bar of alternativeconstruc tion.

In the packings heretofore made of parallel wires, as claimed in patentissued to me August 16, 1881, the nonelasticquality of the metallic rodsor wires ofiered many advantages over other constructions, but possessedthe disadvantage of not yielding freely or voluntarily to irregularitiesof form or movement in the surface to which it was applied; and mypresent invention is intended to supply an additional fore known,whereby the latter may act as if themselves elastic to a considerableextent. The inelastic but yielding and compressible wires are thusadapted for many uses or situations where such voluntary movement is required, and are enabled to accommodate themselves automatically to theirregularities caused by rough or crooked piston-rods. I I accomplishthis desirable object by combining with the parallel wires a layer orstrand of suitable elastic material arranged to press the;

metallic rods toward the wearing-surface when in use. Such elasticaction may be'sobtained from hemp, jute, india-rubber, and othermaterials having the desired elasticity, the degree of which is notmaterial to my invention,

v as the amount of elasticity required in the packing depends entirelyupon the degree of irregularity in the wearing-surface to which thepacking is applied. Such layer of elastic material may be combined orsecured with the parallelwires in any desired manner, as by binding thesame with. a few fine threads or wires adapted to speedily wear off 7when the packing is put in use; or the two substances may be inclosed ina fabric or wrapping entirely covering both materials, andsser ving asthe vehicle, if desired, of alubricantfor the wearing-surface. In thedrawings such an inclosing fabric is shown, and maybe produced bybraiding, winding, or wrapping in any economical manner, the formermethod being the most convenient and efiicient in practice, as thebraidedcovering does nottend to unwrap or displace itself when out.

A is a piston-rod, B a stufling-box, G the follower to press the packingtherein, and D,

.D two coils of packing inclosed therein.

In practice, three, four, or any desired number of coils may be insertedin the stuffing- .boX, the continuous bar shown in Fig. 2being 'bentabout the rod A, with the wires ctoward the rod, and cut to form thecoils or rings indicated at D in the sectional view in Fig. 1.

The parallel seriesof wires are shown at e,

the elastic layer associated or combined with them is shown at f, andthe fibrous braided covering is shown at g. In Figs. 1 and 2 the seriesof wires is shown in direct contact with the elastic material indicatedat f; but in Fig. 4

3 the two elements are separated by a layer or partition of sheet metal,h, preferably of avery yielding substance, as lead or'zinc.

Such par-' tition prevents the wires under the pressure of the followerC from crushing into the yielding substance of the layer f, and thussecures a 311101'6 efficient and continuous application of the wires tothe wearing-surface to which they are applied, as the rod A. v Tocombine a lubricant with the inclosing covering 9, the substanceof thelatter may be soaked in paraffine, tallow, &c., before or afterapplication to the inclosed elements, and black-lead may be combinedwith the samein any desired manner. 1

The metallic wires may be made of any suitable material, and theparallellayer of elastic material may, if made of fibrous material, be

ICO

braided, twisted, or otherwise formed into strands before combining withthe wires in the manner described. Such bending of elastic fibers ishighly conducive to the development of elasticity, and is thereforeappropriate in the elastic material employed, while it is absolutelydiselaimed in relation to the metallic wires, as their entire functiondepends upon free parallelism in the packing, as fully set forth in myformer patent referred to above.

Having fully shown my invention in the accompanying drawings, it isobvious that it does not consist in an annular covering of elasticmaterial, as the same was claimed by me in the prior patent referred toabove.

I therefore claim my present invention as follows:

1. The combination, in apacking, of a series of parallel wires and alayer of elastic material, the whole arranged and operated as and forthe purpose setforth.

2. The combination, in a packing, of a series of parallel wires, a layerof elastic material, and an iuclosing fabric wrapped, woven, or woundabout the same, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, in a packing, of an inclosing fabric and a core,consisting in a series of parallel wires separated from a layer offibrous or other elastic material by a strip of sheet metal,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. As a new article of manufacture, apacking having in its core aseriesof parallel wires, arranged at one side thereof to form the wearingsubstance thereof, and a layer of elastic material arranged at theopposite side thereof to press the wires toward the wearing-surface,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a packing formed in bars, andconsisting of a core having a series of parallel wires at one sidethereof, a layer of elastic material at the opposite side thereof, and abinding material holding the wires and elastic material in the properrequired relation, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination, with a packing containing metallic packing-wires,operating as described, of a fibrous covering carrying a lubricant, asand for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL ARMSTRONG.

Vitnesses:

Tnos. S. CRANE, JOHN A. RODRIGO.

